TWO of the most important elements in Mid Cheshire's past will be celebrated this weekend with Middlewich's first ever Salt and Canal Heritage Day.

Middlewich Civic Hall will host the event, which will focus on the role the town's canals and salt works have played in shaping the town, from 1pm-5pm on Saturday. It has been set up by events organiser Dave Thompson, with funding from the town council and Middlewich Vision.

He said: 'Everyone who lives here has some link to either the canals or the salt that first made the area attractive to the Romans and has been a big part of our economy ever since. Saturday will be a chance to find out more about what shaped the town.'

The event will feature photographs and accounts of life on the canals and working in the salt factories. They will be archived after the event, with the help of members of the local heritage society, and there will also be a number of displays and performances.

Dave said: 'We have a huge range of photographic and written material which is pretty fascinating and we hope people come along and get a first hand look at the town's recent history.

'We will have lots else going on. Local artist Norma Dent will be showing people how to paint in the roses and castles as used on painted narrow-boats, canal enthusiast John Hulme will come down with a scale model of the Anderton Boat Lift and our schools will be getting involved, too.'

Youngsters from St Mary's, Wimboldsley, and Byley Primary and Cled-ford Junior Schools have been working with the Day Star Theatre company to put on a show arbout the town's canals. St Mary's and Wimboldsley perform at 1.30pm and the others at 3pm.